ACTIVITIES
Adult initiated activities for children in the Pre-school.
Adult initiated activities for children in the Pre-school.
YOGA
Indoors and Outdoors
Children take part in a weekly Yoga Session which supports bringing calm, relieving anxiety and stress, instigates mindfulness and body confidence and physical development.
Our Yoga sessions use poses to tell a story which enhance children's imagination and creativity.
The movement and breathing exercises in Yoga encourage children to slow down, increase concentration and brings a calmness. When children are anxious the heart rate is faster and breathing is shallow. Deep, controlled breaths during Yoga help to lower the heart rate. This is an important skill for children to learn which they can use throughout their life.
As the children learn new Yoga poses they experiment with using their body in new ways. This strengthens the body, supports coordination and balance as well as gives the child confidence in what their body can do.
WOODWORK
Supporting Creativity and Problem Solving
Children are taught how to use tools safely within their own 'personal safety bubble'. Children are given time to try out techniques in a safe and appropriate way. Their initial apprehension at using tools quickly develops into confidence and excitement as they learn how to use the tools safely.
Once children have mastered the basic skills, they begin to be creative, joining wood and materials in different ways.
Woodwork supports concentration, engagement, perseverance and a feeling of being trusted and responsible. This empowerment enhances the child's self-confidence and self-esteem.
Woodwork also supports....
fine and gross motor skills,
hand-eye coordination,
scientific investigations
numeracy skills
extended vocabulary
critical thinking
FRENCH
Extending Language - an Inclusive Approach
Our 3 and 4 year olds have the opportunity to hear and learn French words in their play to enrich their learning experiences. Practitioners introduce the French Vocabulary as appropriate to the individual child's interest and ability and when opportuities arise.
Learning a second language can give children the confidence to practice new sounds and words. This supports them in their understanding of English grammar, improve listening and attention skills and enables them to be more effective communicators. A professor of Psychology, Judith Kroll, studied children who grew up speaking two languages and concluded that these children are usually better at prioritising, more able to focus on a critical task whilst ignoring irrelevant information.
In a multicultural society, it is important for children to learn about other countries. Learning a foreign language helps to encourage children to explore the world around them and to see things form a different perspective.